


Ghost Of You

by RainbowJeff



Category: The Owl House (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst, F/F, Ghost!Luz, I know it says major character death and all but that’s kinda the plot, Inspired by fan art, Older Characters, Rated T for Heavy Themes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-28
Updated: 2020-09-07
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:54:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 13,156
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26165947
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RainbowJeff/pseuds/RainbowJeff
Summary: Luz found the Boiling Isles almost two years later.Amity is an anomaly, too powerful for her own good.Mistakes happen.
Relationships: Amity Blight/Luz Noceda
Comments: 762
Kudos: 4384
Collections: Completed stories I've read, The Owl House





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> So this is the kind of story that could be written in 10k words or 50k. We’ll see where it takes us.
> 
> I CAN HEAR THE DEATH THREATS ALREADY
> 
> I finally made a playlist for this angst fest, take a listen if you want :)  
> https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3bpEZA08GpNQw5r5w6oFYz?si=cHd5yA4gQAmHRUhSd75zJw

_Not your fault, huh?_

Tears ran freely down Amity’s face.

Her hands shook as she desperately tried to wipe them away.

“Leave me _alone_.”

_I can’t._

“I already said I was sorry.”

_Sorry doesn’t cut it._

_I’m dead._

Amity screamed in frustration, black painted nails dragging down the side of a tree. The woods which usually provided her escape from reality felt like they were crashing down around her.

“You were in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

“Not.”

“My.”

“Fault.”

The ghost regarded her with cold eyes, no trace of sympathy on her translucent features.

_There’s no one for you to shift the blame on._

_Your fault._

Amity refused to look at the ghost, or her dead body only feet away.

_I wish I could leave._

_But I’m stuck with you._

_Until you make peace with me._

“What, is there some sort of official rule book for these sorts of things? Or are you just hell-bent on torturing me for the rest of my miserable life.”

_Only for murderers._

Amity punched the tree in agony, feeling blood trickle down her knuckles as the rough bark smashed into her fist.

“It was an accident.”

_Involuntary manslaughter._

The ghost’s tone was flippant, making Amity grit her teeth.

“Are you making some sort of sick joke?”

_Jokes are for the living. In death, there’s nothing to joke about._

Amity paced the clearing, still refusing to look at the body, refusing to look at the spirit, refusing to acknowledge the scene. Perhaps it would fade away if she ignored it, like a nightmare forcibly forgotten. She’d had plenty of practice.

Please, let it be a dream.

_Look at me._

“No.”

_So stubborn._

_You’ll never be rid of me this way._

_That is what you want, right?_

The ghost sounded bitter, as if she was biting back angry words.

“I want you gone.”

_Then look at me, and remember. That’s the first step._

“I remember plenty. I don’t need a repeat experience.”

_Stop walking away from me._

Amity turned on her heel, forcefully meeting the eyes of the spirit. They were empty and cold, but she could still remember the warmth they once held, like pools of liquid chocolate.

The memory sent a pang of unwelcome guilt through her.

“I may be stubborn, but you’re a thousand times more bossy than me.”

The ghost walked towards her, leaves resting undisturbed beneath her feet. 

_You need to see it from a different perspective._

_Then we can heal._

“There’s no ‘we’ here!”

“Haunt me as much as you want, but you can figure this out yourself.”

The ghost looked almost sad, and the air around Amity grew colder.

_I can’t, I told you._

_I need your help._

“I won’t help you! You don’t know me, you don’t know what I’ve been through. You shouldn't have been here, and don’t think that you can put this on me. I didn’t know. _I didn’t know._ ”

Amity was crying again. 

In her distraction, she didn’t notice how close the ghost had come. She looked up, gold staring into muted brown, and the spirit reached out with one translucent hand.

She touched Amity’s forehead with a cold finger, and she was surprised that she could actually _feel_ it.

Then she crumpled to the forest floor.

~~~

The forest was awake, a chilly breeze blowing through trees, rustling the flame colored leaves. The late afternoon sun filtered through the trees, offsetting a slight chill from the breeze. Birds twittered, and squirrels ran up and down trees, playing tag.

It was a beautiful fall day. 

Amity’s disembodied soul floated in the trees, powerless to change her direction or move anywhere.

A flash of purple caught her gaze, and a sickening feeling filled her.

It was an odd feeling, to see herself on the ground, shooting bolts of fire from her hand while her own soul floated to the side.

_A different perspective._

Stupid ghost. 

Past Amity yelled in frustration, sending a particularly large fireball through the trunk of an oak, causing it to topple over and crack as it hit the ground. 

A growing sense of unease built in her as she watched her past self destroy more trees, and she finally understood her parents harsh words, the reason that she’d been out here in the first place.

“ _Too powerful,”_ her mother had said.

_“Too unstable, too unpredictable,”_ her father had said.

Amity watched as her past self grew more and more enraged, magic bubbling out of her, sleeping through her skin. 

It was….unsettling to watch.

She heard the snap of a branch breaking, and both present and past Amity turned their heads to see a figure emerge from the trees, face etched with concern.

She wanted to call out a warning, but it was already too late. As if it would’ve helped, regardless.

The magic exploded out of her body, slamming into the girl’s figure, a wave of fire and magic washing across the clearing, slightly scorching the forest. A flock of birds took flight, twittering madly as they hurried away from the explosion.

Having averted her eyes, present Amity turned back towards the scene, seeing herself stir on the ground. She watched in horror as her past self stood up and brushed off her clothes, before freezing as she took in the body next to her. 

_Luz._

She knew the girl’s name, having briefly encountered her several times. 

Amity watched herself kneel next to the body.

The girl's dark hair was messy and tousled, spread across the leaves like a halo. Her clothes were singed and smoking, arms and legs askew on the ground. Her neck was twisted at an unnatural angle, eyes half-lidded and empty. 

She watched herself check for a pulse, and jump back, face white as a sheet, when one failed to reach her ears.

“No!”

She watched herself let out a shuddering breath and cover her face, as if it would remove the images burned into her head. 

She watched Luz’s spirit materialize next her body as her past self sobbed. The spirit sat down, arms folded, a melancholy look on her face as she took in past Amity’s sobbing form.

Amity saw herself raise her head and take in the ghost, face somehow going whiter than it’d been before. She scrambled away, trying to escape, do anything but be there.

“Please, I’m sorry! You weren’t supposed to be here.”

Her past self managed to find her way off the ground.

“This isn’t my fault!”

_Not your fault, huh?_

_~~~_

Amity came to with a gasp, fresh tears stinging in her eyes.

The ghost of Luz Noceda stood off to the side, a frown etched into her features.

_Now you see._

The world blurred as tears fell from her eyes onto the forest floor. The ghost took a step towards her, and Amity held up a hand to stop her. After a minute, she glanced up with a burning look in her red-rimmed eyes.

“I’ll help you, as long as you _never_ do that again.”

_Fine with me._

Trembling, Amity found her way to her feet.

  
  
  



	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amity comes to terms with her new reality

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FUCK, THE NEW EPISODE HURTED IN A GOOD WAY

She buried her body.

It was both strange and upsetting, burying one’s body while her spirit stood nearby, watching judgmentally. Tears still ran down her face, staining the earth that she was digging up.

The sun had fallen a long time ago, forcing Amity to cast several light spells in order to see what she was doing. When the ghost had seen her cast the first one, she’d stumbled back, and the air grew chillier. Despite the light, everything remained gray and shadowy.

Amity flicked a finger, causing the final mound of dirt to fall over Luz’s face. 

_Are you done yet?_

She scowled, looking at the translucent spirit.

“You didn’t help any.”

_I have no physical form._

_Aren’t you going to give me a headstone?_

Amity huffed, wiping frustrated tears off her face. She stalked towards the trees, scanning the leaf-ridden ground for a suitable stone. Luz’s ghost moved silently behind her. 

She nearly stumbled over the right stone. It was smooth and round, glowing softly in the moonlight. She picked it up and carried it to the grave, setting it down at the top of the upturned earth, where she knew Luz’s head lay. With a slightly trembling finger, she carved a single word into the stone.

**Luz**

“Happy?”

_Not even remotely._

“You know what? I’ve decided that I don’t like you.”

_The feeling is mutual._

Amity turned away from the grave and the ghost, setting off down a familiar path. Along the way, owls hooted, yellow eyes glowing in the darkness around her. The sounds of the night creatures rang out around her, a scattering of feet here, a low growl there. It unnerved Amity, but she’d never admit it out loud. 

_Scared of the dark?_

She narrowed her eyes.

“What are you, some kind of psychic?”

_It doesn’t take a genius to figure it out._

_I never expected a killer to be afraid of the dark._

Amity grit her teeth in anger.

“Quit calling me a murderer, or a killer, or whatever. I can change my mind about helping you whenever I want.”

_This whole thing will take longer then._

“Then stop annoying me!”

The forest opened up to a familiar stone path, and the two fell into a tense silence. Several minutes passed, to which Amity grew more and more frustrated. She kicked an errant stone, which skidded off the path and into the darkness.

_Don’t you want to hear about how this whole thing works?_

“No. I’m hoping if I ignore you for long enough you’ll eventually go away.”

_You are so impossible!_

“And you’re a brat that decided to haunt me for the rest of my days.”

_I’m a teenage girl, like you, if you’ve forgotten about that. We tend to be hard to deal with._

“Keep talking, and we’ll see if ghosts can die twice.”

_You seem to have gotten over the guilt of killing me._

Amity didn’t respond, sure that the ghost had crossed her arms again and was looking at her with _that_ expression. The pair stayed in silence until they reached her house. 

She suddenly whipped around and looked at the ghost girl, who seemed a little surprised. 

“Can anyone else see you?”

_No, only you._

Amity let out an exhale, not sure whether she was relieved or disappointed. Obviously, being haunted by the ghost of someone you killed would invite some questions, but if she tried to get help from anyone, they’d think she was crazy and lock her in the Conformitorium. 

She let out a shaky exhale, and held open the door for the ghost in a mocking fashion.

“Welcome, esteemed guest. Shall I make you some tea?”

_I hate you._

“Don’t worry, the feeling is mutual.”

Amity ascended the stairs, freezing a little when Emira poked her head out her bedroom door. 

“You’re back late.”

“I was practicing in the forest.”

She didn’t elaborate, and Em shut her door slowly, clearly not satisfied with the answer she gave. 

_You have siblings?_

“Two of them. Twins.”

_I’ve always wanted siblings._

“I don’t really care.”

Luz’s ghost huffed, and ascended the stairs besides Amity. The way she moved was strange, she didn’t float exactly, but when she walked her feet never touched the ground. They made their way to Amity’s room, one pair of feet creaking on the hardwood floor, the other silent.

As the ghost entered her room, Amity shut the door behind them. 

The two regarded each other for a moment, translucent brown eyes meeting burning gold ones. Strangely flustered, Amity looked away and sat on her bed, covers crinkling beneath her. She’d never been alone in her room with another girl before. Even if she was a ghost.

Ugh, that was a _weird_ thought. 

Yes, she was gay, but it was just the icing on the shitty cake that was her life. 

_What’re you thinking about?_

“Nothing.”

She answered too quickly, causing the ghost to raise her eyebrow. Attempting to derail that train of thought, Amity decided it was time to ask some questions.

“So, how does this whole thing work exactly.”

_Oh, so_ now _you want to know._

“Don’t be coy with me.”

_Fine._

_I don’t really know much, I’d have to talk with some other trapped spirits._

“You can do that?”

_Well duh, they’re all over the place. A lot of pain occurs here._

_But I do know that we have to forgive each other for the wrongdoing that happened tonight._

Amity opened her mouth, but the ghost cut her off with a wave of her hand.

_No, I don’t know how that happens exactly. But I think we’ll know once it does. Then, I can leave for the spirit world._

“Is there heaven and hell?”

_Hell is what I’m in now. Stuck in a world where I don’t belong, tied to you until we resolve my death. Heaven is being able to leave and let my soul rest._

“How do you know all this?”

_It’s standard knowledge learned in Ghost Initiation 101._

Amity deadpanned, staring at the ghost with disbelief.

“You’re joking, right?”

She may have imagined it, but a small smile seemed to have crossed the ghost’s lips.

_Like I said, jokes are for the living._

“Ass.”

_Ditto._

Amity’s door opened with a creak, and Edric poked his head into her room, frowning a little.

“Were you talking to someone?”

The ghost and her both froze, and she tried to keep her features neutral. 

“Who knows? I’m clinically insane, I was probably talking to myself.”

Ed chuckled, closing her door softly.

“‘Night, Mittens.”

Amity felt her face flush.

_Mittens?_

“Shut up.”

_It’s cute._

Biting back a retort, she thumped down on her bed and shut her eyes.

“I’m going to try to sleep.”

_Fine._

After a couple uncomfortable minutes, Amity cracked open an eye and turned her head towards the ghost.

She stood a few feet away, unsure of what to do.

“Can you not watch me sleep?”

_Where would you like me to go?_

“I don’t care.”

The ghost shut her eyes in concentration, and her form faded away into nothingness. 

Amity could still feel her cold presence, but now it was almost manageable. She shut her eyes again and managed to fall into a deep sleep.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can I please stop crying while writing this fic, it’d be much appreciated.


	3. Chapter Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I woke up at midnight because my leg was cramping really badly, and it kinda felt like I was going to throw up, so now it’s 2:00 am and you’re getting another chapter of this angst fest. 
> 
> Anyway, song for this chapter is Maybe We’re Meant To Be Alone by Bad Suns, give it a listen if you want.

Amity felt herself stir and kept her eyes closed, chasing the remnants of the night terrors away.

What an awful dream.

_Good morning._

She opened her eye a crack, and saw the translucent figure from her nightmares floating nearby. Panic clawed up her throat, threatening to choke her as the memories came back clearer. Amity sat bolt upright and let out a tiny groan of pain and realization.

“I thought you were just a bad dream.”

_Sorry to disappoint._

Amity opened her eyes, greys of the morning light contrasting with the colorful, however muted clothes of the ghost. A frown made its way to her lips. She looked at her hands, blinking several times when they remained a pale, grey-ish color. Looking up again, the ghost of Luz remained colorful and certainly not grey. 

The fingers were back, wrapping around her throat, cutting off her air and causing her to choke.

“Why can’t I see colors? _I can’t see colors._ ”

_Part of the curse._

“You- this is beyond cruel. Why can’t I see any colors besides _you_?

_If it makes you feel any better, I can’t see any colors besides yourself._

_You didn’t say anything about it last night._

“It was pitch black outside! And I had more pressing problems, if you didn’t notice.”

Her arms and legs had twisted themselves into an elaborate knot, unlikely to be undone any time soon. A grimace seemed permanently carved onto her face.

_What’d you like me to do about it?_

“Nothing.”

Sighing heavily, she unwound her limbs and clambered off the bed, smoothing her jacket down as she made her way to the bathroom. God, she was filthy from having spent the better part of her evening sobbing and rolling around on the forest floor.

Amity stripped off her jacket and started to remove her shirt when Luz’s ghostly face appeared in the doorframe. Blushing furiously, she kicked the door shut and tugged her shirt back down.

“Do they not have the concept of personal space wherever you come from?”

_I didn’t know you were changing. Sorry._

Amity thought she caught a note of embarrassment in her flat tone. Letting out a deep breath, she tugged the rest of her clothes off and quickly stepped into the shower, hoping to avoid any more ghostly surprises. 

The moment the hot water hit her back, all the muscles in her body relaxed. It was at that moment Amity realized just how _exhausted_ she was. 

She lingered a bit longer than she usually would, letting the hot water wash away the pain from the previous evening. When Amity stepped out of the shower, she felt just a little bit more sane. 

After pulling on some clean clothes, she stepped out of the bathroom and found Luz staring out her window, a sad expression on her face. Hearing the door close, the ghost turned away from the window and faced Amity. 

_You have a beautiful view from your room._

“.....Thank you.”

She almost asked something, but bit her tongue and grabbed a clean cowl from her closet. A nice, muted gray.

Anger ran through her once more, and she walked out of the room without saying anything to the ghost. As expected, she followed Amity out like a lost puppy. Pangs of sadness echoed in her chest as she passed by a plethora of once colorful things, now all grey in her eyes. 

She made her way to the door and opened it, nearly falling to her knees in agony when the once beautiful sunrise became a wash of greys. 

_It’s just as hard for me too._

Amity swallowed her bitterness and stepped out the front door, aware that she was late already.

“Hurry up, ghost girl.”

_Please just call me Luz._

“.....Fine.”

~~~

School was worse than she expected. She could no longer tell which students were in which track, their uniforms either grey or darker grey. The banners on the walls hung in various shades of grey. Everywhere she looked, more and more grey met her eyes. Grey, grey, grey. Amity was starting to get sick of grey. 

Luz was starting to get on her nerves, constantly pointing at ordinary things, like her locker, and demanding to know what they were. Amity then had to answer as inconspicuously as possible, informing the girl that it was just a locker.

_Yeah, but the ones in the human world don’t have teeth!_

She softened just a bit when she saw how excited the ghost was, eyes shining as she took in all the new things the school had to offer. 

_Can I apply here?_

“Somehow, I don’t think Principal Bump will be too keen on letting a ghost enroll in his school.”

Luz looked downcast.

“Can you even do magic?”

The ghost looked up, pain clear in her eyes.

_I used to be able to do one spell._

She didn’t elaborate. 

Amity turned away, heart strangely heavy at the way Luz’s face fell.

_What’s your first class?_

“Oh, AP Abominations History.”

_What’s an abomination?_

She would have laughed if her situation hadn’t been so awful, if guilt didn’t threaten to choke her with every word the ghost uttered. 

“Come on, you’ve got a lot to learn.”

Luz followed Amity to her history class, which sucked the life out of her the moment she entered. Honestly, she wouldn’t be taking this awful class if her parents didn’t insist upon it. 

The teacher was a short, squat witch with a nasally voice that grated on Amity’s nerves every time he spoke. 

“Oh, Amity! Could you hand me my blue classwork folder? It should be right besides you.”

A stack of folders sat on the desk besides hers, and her face fell a little.

_I think it’s the one second from the bottom._

Shooting Luz a dirty look, Amity muttered under her breath.

“Like you know any better than me.”

Nevertheless, she selected the one that the ghost pointed out, having decided that that one looked closest to blue. The teacher took the folder without complaint, and Amity let out a sigh of relief.

_See?_

“Shut up.”

During the rest of the class, Amity spaced out and stared out the window, watching grey trees and grey grass sway in the wind. 

She glanced over to Luz, the girl watching the teacher in rapt attention, eyes a little wide with all the information she was learning. It was almost cute.

The green of her hoodie and brown of her hair were a welcome change from the greys around her, and Amity found herself staring. 

Luz looked over, an eyebrow raised at the spaced out look on her face.

_Not paying attention?_

Flushing a little, she quickly jot a note down on the worksheet in front of her. 

_I’ve already learned this._

Nodding, Luz turned back towards the board. When the bell rang, Amity jumped out of her seat and stretched, while the ghost looked a little disappointed.

Yawning, Amity made her way out of the class with Luz in tow. 

_That was so cool! I didn’t know anything about Abominations, but now I think I know too much. In a good way, though. Is that weird?_

Again, Amity almost laughed.

What was wrong with her?

“You're the only person I know who’s ever enjoyed that class.”

_By the way, what’s the Knee?_

“It’s a place where some witches go to practice magic. There’s said to be a large amount of magical energy there, which is helpful for anyone who’s trying to learn new spells.”

_Do you practice there?_

Amity frowned, remembering the horrible mess that she’d gotten herself into the last time she practiced at the Knee.

“Not anymore.”

_Can we go sometime?_

She was about to answer no, but the expression on Luz’s face gave pause to her words. There was tangible excitement on her face, and Amity couldn’t remember the last time she’d seen anyone so innocently excited for something.

“Fine. Tomorrow’s a Saturday, so I’ll take you then.”

The ghost beamed.

_Sounds great._

“Let’s just get through the rest of the day first.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Every time I get a comment, I feel a little bit of my sleep deprived life force returning. Please, save a writer and leave a comment ✌️


	4. Chapter Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story causes me so much agony to write but I love it so much, I can’t stop writing this sad crap.
> 
> Song for this chapter is William by Graveyard Club, give it a listen if you want.

_Good morning._

Yawning, Amity sat up and blinked sleep out her eyes, rubbing them until the shapes of her room came into focus. 

The ghost stood nearby, an excited little half smile on her lips. 

She groaned, falling back down on the bed and covering her face with a pillow. Her following words came out muffled.

“Is it Saturday already?”

_Yep._

“Remind me why I’m doing this again?”

_It’s the only way for my soul to find its way to the afterlife._

“But I’m _tired._ ”

_Too bad._

Luz crossed over to where Amity still lay with a pillow over her face, and promptly sat on her. The resulting feeling was like a bucket of ice cubes being poured over her, chill soaking into her bones.

_Get up, lazy butt._

Amity yelped, throwing the covers off and jumping out of bed.

“I’m up, I’m up!”

Glaring at the ghost, who still had that little smile on her face, Amity scowled and tugged some clean clothes out of the closet. She entered her bathroom and called back to the girl. 

“Don’t you dare stick your head in here today.”

_I wouldn’t dream of it._

Sighing, Amity dressed in warm clothes, knowing that the Knee would be freezing despite the warm fall breeze that filtered in through her open window. 

She exited the bathroom, and grabbed her puffiest coat from the closet, Luz shooting a strange look at her. 

_What’s with the clothes? It’s warm outside._

“The Knee is a giant mountain covered in snow, genius. I’d prefer not to freeze to death.”

_Sounds like a better way to go than being killed by someone’s temper tantrum._

“I will hire an exorcist to forcibly get rid of you.”

_Does that even work?_

“Be thankful that I haven’t tried to find out yet.”

_Aww, how touching._

“Please shut up.”

Amity made her way downstairs, Luz following her with that stupid cocky smirk on her face. Thankfully, no intrusive siblings or parents stopped her as she opened the front door. The warm air greeted her, and she began to sweat under the fur collar of her coat almost immediately. 

The two started towards the mountain in an almost comfortable silence.

The walk was long and tiring, the heat of the sun beating down on Amity while Luz looked unbothered. Several times, Amity considered turning around and letting the ghost explore by herself, but she forced herself to keep moving forward.

With a start, Amity realized that she couldn’t remember the last time she’d spent a weekend with someone else besides her family. Usually, her Saturdays consisted of her laying around until noon, then waking up to do homework and practice magic, maybe reading if she had time. 

A lump appeared in her throat when she came to the conclusion that the closest thing she had to a friend was a human that she’d accidentally killed two days ago. Something like a mixture of longing and guilt bubbled up in her chest.

As the two kept walking uphill, the air grew colder, the shadows longer, and snow started to appear on the ground. An involuntary shiver ran through Amity.

_Cold?_

“I’m fine. I’m sure your presence doesn’t help much.”

_Rude._

She actually had to suppress a smile.

“Always.”

_I’m doing just fine Amity, thanks for asking! No, ghosts don’t get cold, but thanks for being concerned._

“Oh, be quiet.”

_I’ve left you alone for nearly the whole walk._

“I’m serious about the exorcist thing.”

_I’m sure._

Amity huffed in annoyance, not even having to turn around to see the girl rolling her eyes. The snow grew thicker, and the path widened into an open clearing, a semi-flat place in the mountain top.

At least the snow was still white to her, though the sky was a light grey instead of the brilliant blue she was used to.

_It’s peaceful here._

“I suppose.”

Amity had to stop herself from remembering her childhood, memories of her and Willow playing in the snow lingering at the back of her subconscious. She shook her head, attempting to clear her thoughts.

No point in lingering on the past.

_The view up here is great._

_Why’d you stop coming up here?_

“There was an accident.”

_Do you plan on elaborating?_

Amity sighed, kicking her feet in the snow. She really didn’t want to talk about her problems today, but the ghost looked so curious, it was hard to resist.

“My old friend and I were up here playing when we were younger, and I almost killed her. I summoned a snow abomination, but it got out of control and caused an avalanche, almost burying us alive. Even then I was more powerful than most full grown witches, and combined with the natural magic of the Knee, it caused a huge problem.” 

She hung her head, and her words became soft with melancholy.

“I never came back after that day.”

_That’s awful._

“I seem to cause more problems than I can handle.”

Luz was oddly silent, no doubt thinking the same words as Amity.

_You caused this problem._

Amity turned away from the ghost, walking towards an overhang that she used to like to sit on and look over when she was little. She could see everything there, from the kingdom to the woods to the sea. A couple of tears welled up in her eyes.

This day had already been too much for her. 

Something cold and wet hit the back of her head, dripping down the back of her neck and her coat. Cursing, she stumbled to her feet and turned to Luz, who was wearing a cheeky grin. 

“Did you just throw a snowball at me?”

_I might’ve._

“How- can you even pick up things?”

_I feel like I have more substance here._

Amity slowly bent down and gathered some snow in her hands, maintaining eye contact with the ghost, before suddenly straightening up and lobbing the ball at her. Luz didn’t even attempt to move, and the ball of snow sailed straight through her form.

_Oh, that tickled!_

“ _I have more substance here_ , my ass. If you’re going to play the game, play fair.”

_Hey! It’s not my fault you decided to challenge a ghost to a snowball fight._

“You hit me first!”

_I’ll do it again._

“Not if you can’t catch me.”

The two lept into battle, Amity summoning walls of ice to block Luz’s barrage of snowballs, while her own snowballs just sailed straight through the other girl. 

Peals of giddy laughter rang out from both sides, each trying their hardest to win, though neither knew what a victory looked like. 

Birds scattered when errant snowballs flew their way, and Amity was sure all the wildlife was scared off by their shouts echoing off the mountain.

Eventually, Amity ran out of breath and flopped to the ground, thoroughly soaked with snow and sweat. Luz flopped down next to her.

“That was… so… _unbelievably_ unfair.”

_Guess you’ve learned your lesson. Never pick a snowball fight with a ghost._

Amity laughed, a pure, innocent sound that shocked herself. She hadn’t laughed like that in ages.

“I guess… I had some fun today.”

_Aww, are you finally warming up to me?_

“Don’t push it.”

_I had fun too._

They gazed up at the sky, and Amity thought the world looked a little less bleak.

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments......ple- please?


	5. Chapter Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What’s this? Not angst? Unacceptable.
> 
> :)
> 
> Song for this chapter is Pleaser by Wallows, ‘tis good, give it a listen is you want.

After that day in the Knee, the two of them seemed to fall into a pattern. It was strange, but… good.

Every morning, without fail, Luz woke Amity up by throwing off her covers, complaining that the witch slept past the alarm again.

In truth, the past couple days Luz had been waking her up before the alarm, but Amity didn’t bother to correct her.

Every morning, Amity complained about the ghost invading her personal space constantly, while the girl stuck out her tongue and reminded Amity that she had nowhere else to go.

In truth, she'd gotten used to Luz’s presence now.

She’d then take a shower and get dressed, coming back to find the ghost staring out her window with the same sad look in her eyes. 

Although, the expression had started to melt off her face when she saw Amity emerging from the bathroom.

The pair would then descend the stairs into the kitchen, where Amity would grab a box of cereal or something else equally unhealthy, while Luz chided her about it.

_You need to eat a balanced breakfast, this sugary crap isn’t good for you._

“Oh shush, you don’t have a say in this. It tastes good.”

_Eggs and fruit also taste good._

Amity would then proceed to fill a heaping bowl just to spite her, and the ghost would stand off to the side, fake pouting. 

Some mornings her siblings would join her for breakfast, always finding something to tease her about. Ed would put his feet up on the table, and Em would slap him when he made a particularly awful joke. Amity would glare at them, shoving cereal down her throat as fast possibly just so she could leave. 

Amity would hear ethereal laughter in her ears from Luz when she watched the twins pick on her. While the two weren’t looking, she would whip around and glare at the ghost, who covered her mouth and adopted that unconvincing innocent expression.

Eventually, the two would make their way to school, bickering the whole way, though it had a more playful note to it now. They would cover a wide array of topics, but somehow Amity always felt like she was losing the debate. Perhaps it was the lingering guilt she felt.

At school, Luz would accompany her to her classes, occasionally putting in her two cents when a teacher asked a question regarding colors. In a stroke of luck, Amity hadn’t been called out about her lack of being able to see colors yet. 

During classes, she would occasionally look up and see Luz staring at her, before hastily shifting her eyes away and looking at whatever the lesson was. Amity asked her about it once, warranting an unsatisfactory answer.

_People watching._

She’d scoffed, deciding not to press any further. 

School would end, and the two would walk back to the house, where Amity would do her homework, Luz bombarding her with questions the entire time. She would scowl, but always answer them.

In truth, she relished every question that the ghost asked. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that she could gloat her knowledge, but that didn’t feel quite right.

Amity would fall asleep late at night, and the cycle would start again the next morning.

It was strange, but… nice.

~~~

One Saturday afternoon, Amity was doing a worksheet when her pen ran out of ink. Sighing, she reached into her bag and rooted around for another pen, letting out a louder sigh when she failed to find one.

_What’s up?_

“I’ve run out of pens, so I’m going to the market for some more. You know, I could use some more notebooks as well…”

_Oh! Can I come?_

“Like you’d stay here if I said no.”

_True._

Stretching, Amity stood up and grabbed her jacket, exiting the room with Luz following excitedly. 

“Quit bouncing, it’s just the market.”

_I know, but I haven’t been since…_

Amity grew quiet.

_Since the ghostification._

She almost laughed, thankful that the mood wasn’t ruined by the elephant in the room. Or rather, the ghost in the room.

“Is that even a real word?”

_Should be._

The walk wasn’t as nearly as long as the one to the Knee, but it was long enough for Amity to lose yet another argument. She was still pouting slightly by the time they reached the market.

Both ghost and witch frowned when they noticed how busy the place was today, people and demons alike bustling around.

“You should probably stick close to me. Wouldn’t want anyone walking through random cold spots.”

_Yay, bonding time! Do you want me to hold your hand?_

“Shut up.”

Regardless, Amity’s right side was suddenly freezing, Luz deciding to stay only a foot away from her for safety. 

They wound their way through the crowd, Amity finding her pens and notebooks rather quickly, and she browsed a stand selling books. Luz squealed suddenly, pointing at the colorful cover of a book Amity instantly recognized.

_You have Good Witch Azura on the Boiling Isles!?_

Hiding her mouth behind her hand, she answered her in a low murmur.

“Yeah, do you like the series?”

_I love it! Wait, have you read them?_

Blushing slightly, Amity nodded.

_Oh my God, I would’ve instantly forgiven you if you just told me that you were a fan of Good Witch Azura!_

Frowning a little, she murmured to the ghost again.

“Does that mean you’ve forgiven me?”

_Hmm, I’m working on it._

Something like melancholy filled Amity’s chest. She’d almost forgotten that this wasn’t permanent, that Luz wouldn’t stay here forever.

But she was supposed to be happy about that, wasn’t she?

Amity turned away from the stand, a slightly confused Luz following her. She’d never admit that train of thought out loud, the ghost would become insufferably smug from it. 

_Oooo, dangerous potions!_

She had to suppress a smile, turning back towards the girl, who raised an eyebrow in a silent question. Sighing, Amity waved a hand towards the stand.

“Go. I’ll just be on that bench over there. Try not to run into anyone.”

_Ok, mom. I’ll be fine._

Amity scowled and plopped down the bench she indicated, pulling out her scroll. She opened up Penstagram and browsed Boscha’s newest posts, keeping an eye on the ghost to make sure she didn’t cause any trouble.

Eventually, Luz made her way back towards Amity’s bench and plopped down next to her, glancing over at the scroll.

_What’s that?_

“Penstagram.”

_Oh, so it’s like the Boiling Isles version of Instagram. Cool._

She moved to put her scroll away, but Luz’s ghostly hand stopped her, skin erupting in goosebumps where their fingers touched. Amity wasn’t quite sure it was just from the cold.

_Keep scrolling, I want to see more dumb posts._

“...Fine.”

The two spent an unprecedented amount of time looking through people’s posts, Luz interjecting her own commentary that Amity was having a hard time not laughing at. She was so wrapped up in her scroll and Luz’s presence that she barely noticed the sun dipping below the horizon before the ghost pointed it out.

_We should go, it’s getting late._

Amity almost didn’t want to get up. 

But she did, Luz following as always.

The two made it back onto the path to her house, a comfortable silence between them. 

_I had fun today._

“Me too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That moment when you realize your ghost gf isn’t going to be here forever 😩
> 
> Give me some sad music to listen to while writing this, I’m running out of songs.


	6. Chapter Six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *slams head into keyboard* WHY THE HELL DO I DO THIS TO MYSELF, JESUS 
> 
> On that note, song for this chapter is Flowers by in love with a ghost. Very sad, 10/10, give it a listen if you want.

A month passed, then two. 

Although, the days never bled together, not like they used to. Amity could distinctly remember the events of every single day. Each one brought a new experience, a new something that she held onto like a lifeline.

Ever since the night in the forest, she’d felt more alive than ever before. It felt ironic, that someone’s death had caused her to finally start living her own life. 

As each day passed, Amity forgave herself more and more, to the point where she could think about the night in the forest without wanting to curl up into a ball and sob.

That had happened a couple times, but oddly enough, Luz was always the one to comfort her. 

As the weeks passed, the real world felt like it was fading away, and the ghost was becoming her reality. The grey’s of her surroundings no longer interested Amity, and she became intimately familiar with every color on Luz.

It felt like the world was slowly becoming ghostlike, while Luz gradually became flesh and blood with each passing day. 

It was irrational, she knew, nothing was fading away and nothing was becoming more real, but Amity had never been quite rational after Luz’s death.

The world around her no longer held any meaning. 

~~~

It happened so naturally that it felt like breathing.

It was a Saturday, Amity’s new favorite day, and she was reading Good Witch Azura book five aloud to Luz, the ghost no longer possessing the ability to turn pages. 

The two had agreed a couple weeks ago that it was the best book in the series so far, both awaiting eagerly the release of book six. 

“And so, Azura said to Hecate, “I thought you’d changed, I thought you trusted me now. Turns out I put too much faith in you, yet again. You don’t always have to be the villain, Hecate.” Azura looked heartbroken and exhausted, and the other witch was no longer smiling. Hecate replied, somewhat sadly. “I told you not to trust me, Azura, but you were as naive as always.” With that, she leveled her staff at the other woman’s chest.”

Luz let out a pained groan, covering her face with her hands and shaking her head.

_No, that part always gets me! Why must Hecate betray Azura? The two are so clearly perfect for each other, it hurts my heart._

_It’s literally the enemies to lovers ship of a lifetime!_

Amity smiled, shaking her head ruefully at the ghost.

“I will never understand you.”

_Hey, don’t you dare insult shipping in my presence! I know you think they’re as perfect for each other as me._

_Don’t pretend that I haven’t seen your fan art._

Amity felt her cheeks flush, and she closed the book before chucking it at Luz’s head. As expected, it passed right through her, but the ghost laughed anyway. 

Her laughter was so infectious that Amity felt like laughing as well. 

The feeling that rushed through her was so sudden, but so natural at the same time. It came in a wave, nearly knocking her off balance, but also filling her lungs with fresh air simultaneously. 

She watched Luz laugh, eyes sparkling with humor and simple pleasure, and the feeling came all at once. Yet, it had been a gradual build to this moment, wave finally cresting and crashing into Amity.

_I love you._

As Amity registered the thought, her smile faded and the moment popped like a shining soap bubble. 

_What’s wrong?_

It was almost funny how close Luz’s voice sounded to the one in her head. 

The ghost had stopped laughing, her smile faltering at the way Amity’s face suddenly fell. Amity threw off her covers, feeling as if she couldn’t breath, she was choking, her head spun-

“I just forgot that I had this really important assignment due-“

Luz stood up, watching Amity grab at straws, trying to find an excuse to get the ghost _away._

“-and I need peace and quiet, so maybe you could go downstairs? _Please._ ”

The last word came out in a strangled sort of gasp, but Luz failed to notice.

_Alright then, we’ll finish the chapter when you’re done?_

“Sure.”

Her voice was strained, and she didn’t breath until the ghost left and Amity shut the door behind her. 

She slid down the wall, tears already springing in her eyes, the weight of everything she’d ever done wrong weighing down on her chest. 

Amity felt as if invisible hands were wrapping themselves around her throat, squeezing and leaving purple bruises around her neck. She clawed at her throat in a pointless effort to remove the fingers.

As her head spun and she felt like passing out, the hands let go and she gulped in lungfuls of air, hot tears running down her face. 

_Of course you’d fall in love with a ghost._

_It’s such an Amity thing to do._

She let out shuddering sobs, the irrational part of her brain arguing with the cruel but still sane part.

_She’s not just a ghost, she’s Luz! She’s everything to me._

Amity knew in her heart that the statement was true.

_She’s not real._

She knew that statement was also correct. 

Amity didn’t know which side to believe, and it was splitting her apart, heart tearing with every realization.

Her shuddering sobs grew softer with each passing minute, until all that was left were dry hiccups. Peeling herself off the floor, Amity walked unsteadily towards the bathroom and turned on the sink. 

She splashed her face several times with cold water, washing off the tear tracks and washing away the pain. 

_She doesn’t have to know._

Letting down then re-tying her hair, Amity checked her appearance in the mirror to make sure she was presentable. Letting out a long exhale, she made her way downstairs.

Luz sat with her feet up on the kitchen table, staring out the window. Her head turned towards Amity as she approached, slight concern on her features.

Amity tried for a smile.

“We can finish the chapter now.”

The ghost smiled and swung her feet to the floor.

_Awesome!_

She felt the last strings holding her heart together snap.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Someone please shoot me before I write anymore of this damn fic.


	7. Chapter Seven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OMFG AMITY IS CONFIRMED AS A LESBIAN 🥺🥺🥺 I JUST- HMJHADHJSHJHJJGAGSHSJJS 
> 
> Btw sorry this chapter is short, it’s more transitional but just as important.

Ever since that Saturday, there was a lingering pain in Amity’s chest whenever she looked at Luz. 

Essentially, her heart hurt with every beat that it took. 

The situation was so unbelievably fucked up that it made Amity want to let out a bitter laugh.

Ironic, isn’t it, how the only person she was living for was already dead?

The ghost remained oblivious, a trait that she’d previously hated but now grew to greatly appreciate. Luz somehow managed to never notice the little things that would tip anyone off, like how Amity stuttered over her words whenever the ghost looked at her intensely. Or that stupid blush that plastered over her face whenever Luz got a little too close. 

Whenever Luz smiled, she felt like simultaneously laughing and crying.

If the ghost stayed around any longer, Amity would be dead herself before the end of the month.

She’d heard legends of witches hearts being broken so badly that they actually kneeled over within a couple of days. She couldn’t decide whether she was lucky or cursed that that hadn’t happened yet. 

In addition, the world seemed to be bleeker and greyer as each day passed. Amity was starting to forget every color that Luz wasn’t. The only colors that she knew were the green of Luz’s sweatshirt, the blue of her jeans, the purple of her shoes, the pink of her lips, the warm brown of her skin and dark brown of her hair, and the rich chocolate color of her eyes. Amity relished the times when she saw red in Luz’s blush, or the times when they were close enough to see the gold flecks in those chocolate eyes. 

In fact, she was pretty sure that her favorite color had become the exact shade of Luz’s eyes. 

It was pathetic.

Her own form seemed ghostly in comparison, pale skin contrasting with the darker greys and blacks of her clothes. 

Maybe she was dead already.

No, she’d remember dying.

Weeks passed, and nothing changed, but everything was different.

Luz would come back in the mornings occasionally, having spent the night with some other troubled soul trapped on the Isles. She’d educate Amity on whatever new tidbit of information she learned, but the big picture was still the same.

Kill a person, accidentally.

Their spirit comes to haunt you.

Gain their trust and perhaps friendship.

Get spirit to forgive you for their death.

Spirit leaves.

It was a very difficult process, Amity was coming to understand. 

There were of course the little details, like how spending time together and doing assorted activities caused the process to speed up. 

So Luz and Amity, ghost and witch power duo of the century, according to Luz anyhow, set off every weekend on some adventure.

One time they hiked the expansive forests, another they explored a mysterious cave, and a third they had a beach day.

It wasn’t much of a beach day though, considering that it was November and freezing outside, but the two spent the day sitting on the sand and watching waves crash against the beach.

That day had been particularly hard on Amity’s heart. 

During the weekdays, the pair of them would go to school, where Amity would fight to stay awake during lectures she’d already learned. A hobby of hers became watching Luz study the material intently, eyes going wide when she learned something new or particularly interesting. 

People watching, indeed.

They might attend a Grudgby game on Fridays, where Luz would cheer wildly, waving imaginary pom-poms, Amity watching her with a stupid smile. The ghost might ask her what she thought of the game, and she’d give a non-committal answer, too distracted by the ghost’s antics. 

After the first game they attended and Amity told her how she’d once been team captain, Luz practically demanded to be taught how to play.

“Luz, you are physically unable to hold or catch a ball.”

_I don’t care, I still want you to teach me!_

Amity suspected that the ghost just wanted to see her play Grudgby.

In a fit of inspiration, she dug out her old varsity jacket, dusty and faded from years of abandonment and put it on. Luz blushed a furious red when she saw Amity in the jacket.

It felt nice to cause that kind of reaction from the ghost.

True to her words, the ball passed straight through Luz whenever she tried to hold it or catch it, but the ghost laughed and tried again anyway. 

It physically hurt to see Luz laughing, joy apparent on her face as the ball fell through her translucent hands.

The game eventually turned into Amity basically playing hacky-sack with the ball, bouncing it off her knees and elbows, Luz cheering her on. Her cheeks were flushed with exertion and they hurt from grinning wildly.

The twins came outside briefly, eyebrows raised as they looked at Amity with confusion. 

“What’s the occasion, Mittens?”

She shooed them away, dropping the ball in her distraction. The two eventually went back inside. 

_I swear, that nickname is so unbelievably cute that it makes me want to die again._

_It doesn’t fit you at all._

“Oh, be quiet. You’re so hot and cold that I think I’m getting a temperature shock.”

_Why thank you! I am very hot._

With that, Luz grinned at Amity and flexed her biceps, earning a full scale blush from the witch. 

Inwardly, her heart broke a little bit more.

Things like that kept _happening,_ and she felt herself falling a little bit more every time they did. 

Every time Amity thought that she’d hit rock bottom, Luz threw her a shovel to keep digging further. She was already six feet under.

It got so much worse though.

All these events paled in comparison to the Moonlight Festival.

  
  
  
  
(They’re in a cave or something.)  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Story time, I relate to Amity so damn much, when I was 14 I was also pining for a bisexual Latina disaster, and I felt like I was at my highest high and lowest low simultaneously. ✌️ 
> 
> Great now I’m sad again


	8. Chapter Eight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y’all idk why it says completed, archive is being buggy, but there’s gonna be like 2 more chapters after this one soooo *shrugs*
> 
> Song for the chapter is Angels by Kat Nestel, less sad but 100% a bop.

They were taking one of their evening walks when Amity tripped over a piece of paper on the ground. Luz laughed a little at her clumsiness while she cursed, but then stopped and stared closer at the paper. 

_ What’s the Moonlight Festival? _

Frowning, Amity reached down and picked the wrinkled flyer up, smoothing it out and studying the words.

**Come to the Annual Moonlight Festival!**

**Free drinks, food and spectacular**

**views of the moon!**

**Celebrate this day of magical importance on Nov. 13th!**

**Starts 6:30 pm and ends 6:30 am.**

**(We will not be held accountable for any**

**magical mishaps!)**

“Oh, this dumb thing? It’s a big festival that happens annually to celebrate the alignment of the moon or whatever. Kids usually hold a moonlight conjuring and the older teens and adults unusually attend the festival.”

_ Moonlight conjuring? _

“Yeah, kids try to animate an inanimate object in order to practice magic. They spend all night at someone’s house and eat chips and candy and drink soda. The last time I went to one was when I was 14.”

Amity grimaced, remembering how much of a fail that conjuring was.

Luz grinned, eyes lighting up.

_ So it’s like a sleepover. _

“Sleepover?”

_ Nevermind, it’s a human thing. _

The ghost bounced excitedly, grin growing bigger.

_ Can we go!? _

Pre-Luz Amity would’ve declined immediately, but Post-Luz Amity was whipped for the ghost in question.

She’d learned that word when Luz and her had been talking about Azura and Hecate fanfiction, while the ghost had blushed the entire time she was explaining it. When Luz finished, Amity was blushing just as badly. That had been a strange conversation.

Oh, who was she kidding, all of their conversations were strange.

Anyhow, Amity had determined that she was ‘whipped’ for Luz, and was now unable to say no to anything the girl asked her.

“I guess it wouldn’t be too bad, but we are  _ not _ staying until six in the morning.”

_ Awww, you’re no fun. _

“Just be thankful I’m saying yes.”

_ You know, I could go by myself if I wanted to. _

Amity’s face fell a little, which this time did not go unnoticed by Luz.

_ But, it wouldn’t be the same without you there. _

The ghost smiled, chocolate eyes warm as she looked at Amity. A smile of her own unwillingly crept onto her face.

It was offhand little statements like those that  _ hurt. _

“Quit playing with my heart Luz. I’m fragile.”

The tone was joking, but her words were completely serious.

_ You’re the toughest witch I know. _

Amity didn’t respond.

_ Just checking, we  _ are _ planning on going to the festival Friday? _

She laughed, sorrow coursing through her veins.

“Yes, we are going to the festival.”

~~~

Friday came too quickly.

As the two of them sat through Amity’s final period, Luz’s knee was bouncing erratically while they waited for the final bell to ring. The teacher droned on, unaware of the tangible excitement in the air from the students. After an eternity, the bell screamed, and every single student lept out of their seats before racing to the door. 

Hundreds of Hexide students spilled out of the front doors, each one chattering excitedly about their evening plans. 

Luz looked ecstatic, throwing her arms open and head back, closing her eyes and inhaling deeply.

_ Ah, do you smell that Amity? It’s the smell of freedom. _

She chuckled, ignoring the pangs in her heart. She wouldn’t ruin this moment for the ghost.

“You’re ridiculous.”

_ Ridiculously excited! How are you not? _

“I’m not really the festival type of person.”

_ Oh really? I would’ve never guessed. _

Amity sent a half-hearted glare at the ghost, who just laughed and smiled wider. 

“You’re too sarcastic for your own good.”

_ Pfff, who cares? No one can listen to me besides you, and if tonight goes well I’ll be gone soon anyway. _

Luz’s face fell a little with that statement, but Amity was too busy staring at her feet to notice, pain spreading through her body. Everytime she almost forgot that the ghost would eventually leave, she’d find a way to remind Amity. Her vision became a little blurry.

No, she couldn’t cry now. Because if Luz noticed and asked about it, she wasn’t quite sure that she’d be able to hide the truth any longer. 

“You’re crazy.”

_ Crazy about festivals! _

Oh, every second was agony.

The two eventually arrived back at the house, where Amity promptly flopped down on her bed and grabbed Good Witch Azura in order to waste time. Luz basically paced back and forth, fussing with her hair in the mirror and occasionally bugging Amity with questions.

_ I wish I had some ghost clothes besides this hoodie. Hey, do you think that there’s a place that sells ghost clothing? _

“I seriously doubt it Luz.”

_ I feel underdressed!  _

“Literally no one can see you except me.”

_ Well what if I want to look nice for you? _

She choked and looked at the ghost, who was wiggling her eyebrows with a cheeky smile on her face. Amity coughed a couple times and tried to stop her voice from shaking.

“Very smooth.”

_ I try. _

“Besides, the dress code is casual so it doesn’t really matter.”

_ Amity, I’ve been wearing the same clothes for three months straight. Do you have any idea what that feels like? _

The ghost was still grinning, musing her hair in front of the mirror again, managing to make it even more messy.

“I wear the same uniform to school everyday.”

_ That’s not the same! By the way, you should probably change out of it now, it’s almost six and I don’t want to be late.  _

Luz stuck her head through Amity’s closet, the rest of her body sticking out and called back to the witch.

_ You literally have so many cool clothes in here and you never wear any of them! I’m jealous. _

“Get out of my closet, you creep.”

She tried pulling her head out and got stuck, ears now sticking out, before pulling harder and stumbling back a little. Frowning, Amity raised an eyebrow at the ghost, who just shrugged and sat cross legged on the floor.

Amity sighed and grabbed her usual outfit from the closet, ignoring the cries of complaint from Luz, entering the bathroom and closing the door behind her. 

She took a shuddering breath and looked at her pale reflection in the mirror, dark circles discoloring the skin under her once golden eyes. 

No, she couldn’t cry now.

Quickly undressing and throwing on her clothes, Amity smoothed her hair back into it’s usual neat half-ponytail and tucked her shirt in. She self consciously checked her reflection before scowling and exited the bathroom. 

Luz was bouncing on the balls of her feet impatiently, obviously eager to leave. 

“Let’s go, bunny.”

Amity’s face suddenly exploded into a brilliant blush as the words accidently slipped out. 

_ Oh, I did  _ not  _ just fucking say that. _

She felt like banging her head against the wall as Luz looked at her incredulously.”

_ Bunny? _

“It’s just- you know, cause of the bouncing-  _ oh _ , forget it!”

The ghost grinned, eyes shining with delight.

_ Mittens and Bunny! I like it! _

“Please shoot me.”

Amity could already tell that tonight would be traumatizing on her poor, feeble heart.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry these past two chapters have been kinda short, I swear the next one’ll be long and angsty, but take this semi-fluff in the meantime.
> 
> Also I’ve been spoiled on your comments, please please please leave reviews my heart soars every time I see them 🙏


	9. Chapter Nine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HOW THE HELL DID THIS GET SO LONG MY GOD
> 
> Also, song for the chapter is Affection by BETWEEN FRIENDS, please please please give it a listen, it’s deadass the whole mood of this piece, and also the lyrics near the end of this chapter

The festival was crawling with witches and demons, clustered around stands selling assorted magical merchandise, eating not-dogs and drinking “moonlight punch”.

It wasn’t like a carnival where little kids ran around screaming and playing games, there was a certain air of maturity about it. As expected, the ages of festival participants ranged from 16 year olds to adults, with the occasional edgy 15 year old that thought they were too old for conjurings. 

As soon as Luz caught sight of the festival, she all but ran towards the action and called back to Amity. 

_We’re late, I told you so!_

She sighed and followed the excited ghost, heart thumping too fast. She’d never been the biggest fan of huge crowds.

“Nothing interesting starts until 8:00 anyway.”

Luz slowed her pace, eyes wide with interest.

_What’s at 8:00?_

Amity smiled, suddenly excited for the ghost, if not for herself.

“You’ll see.”

_No, you can’t say something like that and leave me hanging!_

“I wouldn’t want to spoil anything.”

Luz pouted, and in her distraction walked into a barrel that looked like it was filled with some kind of eyeballs. The barrel toppled over, spilling its contents everywhere, festival goers jumping back in disgust when eyes rolled towards them. The stand owner looked around for the culprit and waved his fist angrily, cursing in some demon language. 

The ghost was still sprawled out on the ground, a shocked expression on her face as what just happened caught up with her. 

Amity stood nearby, open mouthed and mind reeling. Luz stood up and brushed herself off, a small grin making its way to her face.

Hesitantly, Amity reached out and brushed her fingers against the ghost’s arm, stumbling back when they met cold cloth. Luz’s grin grew wider and she let a jubilant cheer.

Panicking, she whipped her head around, but no one seemed to hear the ghost’s shout, not even the stand owner, who was still scrambling attempting to gather his spilled merchandise. 

Luz reached out and waved her hand in front of a passerby’s face, receiving no reaction. 

“You can touch things-“

_-but no one can see or hear me._

They stared at each other, twin smiles creeping on their faces.

“It must be the moon’s magic doing this.”

_Well I’m not complaining!_

Luz lunged forward and threw her arms around Amity, and she froze, every molecule in her body tingling from the ghost’s cold embrace. She tentatively wrapped her arms around her, cells threatening to self-combust as she tucked her head into the crook of Luz’s neck.

_I’ve missed being able to hug people. You better be prepared, I’m going to make the most out of tonight!_

_I mean, unless you aren’t okay with that._

Amity noticed the stares of people around her, and quickly pulled back, much to the ghost’s disappointment. 

“I, um- that’s fine with me.”

Luz laughed, face ecstatic, while Amity’s heart thumped erratically. She tried to steady her breathing, but all progress was thrown away when the ghost linked their arms together. 

No, she wouldn’t survive the night.

~~~

Luz dragged her through the festival, stopping occasionally to ogle the many particularly interesting or nasty things that were in the stands set up along the streets. 

Amity felt dizzy for a number of reasons, the main one being that Luz hadn’t let go of her arm since they’d arrived. 

Time flew by faster than she expected, and the massive clock hanging above the central square chimed eight times. Startled, Amity glanced at her watch, hands reading 8:01, and Luz grinned and started pulling her faster towards the square.

_Are you going to tell me what happens at 8:00 now?_

“Just be patient.”

The two spilled out into the massive square, hundreds of other witches and demons already seated in the chairs that had been set up. They found seats near the front and sat down, Luz still bouncing excitedly.

“You never run out of energy, do you?”

_I’m dead._

“Somehow, that statement feels ironic.”

_Oh shush, it’s starting!_

Members of the Emperor’s Coven made their way to the front, drawing a quiet from the rambunctious crowd. The leader drew a scroll from their coat and started reading in a deep baritone voice.

“Welcome, witches and demons of the Boiling Isles. As you all know, we hold an annual….competition, might you say, among the heads of the covens at the Moonlight Festival. The competition is in a bracket system, where the eight out of the nine common covens face off against each other. The healing coven will attend to any injuries that occur. The winner out of them faces off against a representative from the Emperor’s Coven. This year’s representative will be….. Lilith Clawthorne!”

Amity let out a little gasp as the crowd around her cheered. Luz frowned at the expression on her face, a mix between shock and anger.

_Who’s Lilith Clawthorne?_

She swallowed and grit her teeth.

“My old mentor.”

Luz looked puzzled.

“When I was younger, it was my greatest dream to be part of the Emperor’s Coven. So, my parents hired Lilith to teach me, but I quit lessons after she got exceptionally frustrated and called me ‘uncontrollable’. Our views didn’t line up anymore, much to my parent’s disgust and disappointment. That was when I was 15.”

Luz scowled and looked up towards the witch with an expression Amity couldn’t identify.

_Well, I think you don’t need her anyway. You’re probably a thousand times the witch she is._

Her eyes were fierce, and Amity blushed under the intensity of her gaze.

“Thank you.”

The heads of each coven made their way to the front, setting their hands on a blank scroll set before them. Ink bloomed across it, selecting which covens would be facing each other. As the scroll finished its selection, a magnified illusion of it appeared above their heads so the crowd could see.

**Round One**

Construction v.s Beast Keeping

Oracle v.s Bard

Abomination v.s Potions

Plant v.s Illusions

  
  


“Oh, it’s an interesting line-up this year.”

_I can’t believe you didn’t tell me that there would be a completion._

“I doubt you would’ve appreciated the spoilers.”

_It’s like a Grudgby game, but better!_

Was it wrong to say that Luz looked more alive than Amity had ever seen her? 

No, it was just ironic, and heartbreaking all the while.

The competition started, crowd oohing and ahhing whenever a particularly good attack was executed well, or whether one of the coven head’s suffered a nasty blow. Round One passed quickly, save for the Plant v.s Illusions battle, as the head’s seemed well matched for each other. 

She was distracted often, finding Luz to be a thousand times more interesting than any old competition. The ghost was too wrapped in the battles to notice Amity’s longing stares.

_Yeesh, that looked like it hurt._

She glanced forward briefly before turning back towards Luz.

“Mhm.”

The Plant v.s Illusions battle finally ended, and the projected scroll above their heads changed to read the results.

**Round Two**

Construction v.s Bard

Abomination v.s Illusions

  
  


“The Abomination track won, I see.”

_Weren’t you paying attention?_

Amity blushed, stammering a little.

“Not really.”

Luz let out a laugh and leaned into her side, causing her to erupt in goosebumps. She froze, but the ghost was oblivious as always, content with ripping Amity’s heart apart. 

_Oh look, the second round’s starting._

She sounded too casual, but Amity didn’t say a thing, scared that the wrong words would come out. 

The two matches crept by at a snail’s pace, as she tried to ignore the dead weight pressing against her. She must’ve blacked out somewhere, because her thoughts snapped back to the present as cheers echoed out around them.

The scroll changed again.

**Round Three**

Construction v.s Abomination 

Luz nudged her, and she snapped her head towards the ghost, breath catching when she noticed how close their faces were. If she just leaned down a little…

_Rooting for the home team, I suppose?_

“Oh, yeah, I guess.”

She couldn’t care less about the stupid competition at this point. 

More time passed, more oohs and aahs, more knives thrust into her heart as Luz shifted so that her head was tucked into the crook of Amity’s neck.

It was almost _ridiculous_ how much agony the other girl’s presence caused her nowadays.

The crowd broke out in wild cheers, and Amity was caught between a mixture of relief and disappointment as Luz pulled away and cheered with them. 

The scroll changed one last time, displaying the final pairing.

**Round Four**

Abomination v.s Emperor’s Coven

_Look Amity, Abomination won!_

“I hate to break it to you Luz, but the Emperor’s Coven always wins in the end.”

The ghost pouted, although the joy in her eyes still shone through.

_Spoilsport. Maybe you’ll win one day when you become head of the Abomination coven._

She scoffed, almost laughing aloud at the thought.

_What? I’m serious, you’re more powerful than any other witch I know, even Eda._

Luz’s face fell suddenly, a melancholy expression spreading across her features.

“Eda?”

My _old mentor. You’ve probably seen her wanted posters._

Understand dawned upon her, and she suddenly felt that old weight of guilt pressing against her chest. 

“The Owl Lady.”

_Yeah._

The two were quiet, the roar of the crowd fading to a drone around them. 

_I shouldn’t have brought it up, now I’ve ruined the fun._

Amity shook her head, ignoring the pangs in her chest. 

“No, we’ve just been ignoring the ghost in the room.”

Luz smiled, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. She stood up and extended a hand out to Amity, who looked up at her with confusion. 

_Since we already know the outcome of this round, we shouldn’t waste any time on it._

Amity thought she looked ethereal in that split second, sad smile stretched across her face, chocolate eyes warm as Luz looked at her.

She took the ghost’s hand, ignoring the stares around them.

~~~

Hand in hand, the pair wandered the empty streets, moon glinting high above them. It might’ve been romantic if Amity hadn’t felt like curling up in a little ball and sobbing. 

Music drifted out from an alleyway, and the two felt pulled towards it. As they emerged on the other side of the alley, they found themselves in a small square, several people milling about and dancing.

Luz grinned at her, and Amity felt the stabbed, broken, and smashed pieces of her heart melt a little. 

The song changed into an upbeat yet sad tune, words filtering out of a nearby speaker. 

_You’re taking what you want right from me_

_Wrapped up in so much_

_Life is just the way you hold me_

_Care to dance?_

Amity snapped out of her trance, eyes a little wide as she took in the ghost’s somber smile, something hanging between them. 

“I’d like that.”

Smile growing just a slight bit happier, Luz shifted her grip on Amity’s hand and rested her other hand on her waist. The gentle touch sent shivers through her body that had _nothing_ to do with the cold. Distant whispers echoed around them, but they were nothing to Amity. 

She couldn’t blame them, it must’ve looked quite strange, dancing with herself.

_You’re saying what you want right to me_

_No filter on your mouth, we know you talk in your sleep_

_Remembering the times they won’t remember me_

_Our nights melt into sequels, you sink into me_

They swayed with the music, a little smile lingering on her face as their heads inclined just inches away from each other. 

_Amity…_

“I love you.”

A pause.

_Oh, I’m looking for affection in all the wrong places_

Luz’s eyes snapped to meet hers, gold melting into brown. 

_And we’ll keep falling on each other, fill the empty spaces_

_I-_

A beat

_Oh, I’m looking for affection in all the wrong places_

_I love you too._

_And we’ll keep falling on each other, fill the empty spaces_

Luz pulled back, pain written all over her face.

_But we can’t do this._

A pause.

Amity’s world came crashing down around her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I- ummmmmmmm......
> 
> Please yell at me in the comments!


	10. Chapter Ten

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know everyone was begging for Luz to get resurrected, but let me ask you this. Should a story with a sad plot, a sad beginning, a sad middle, and a sad climax have a happy ending? No, it should not.

_Amity, please look at me._

Heartbroken and furious tears ran down her face as she walked briskly down the path that led to her house.

The ghost followed behind, pleading with her ever since she’d run from the festival.

_Please!_

She only walked faster, brushing hot tears off her face. 

The mansion loomed in the distance, illuminated by the cold, cruel moon.

Fallen leaves crackled under her feet, a single tether to the real world, a small reminder of where she was. Amity latched onto the sound, trying to keep her head clear enough to just make it back to the house.

_Please turn around._

“Get lost.”

Her hands shook as she turned the doorknob, and she slammed the door behind her.

Amity ignored the sound of the door creaking back open behind her.

More tears fell as she entered her room, and she all but collapsed on the bed, and her body was racked with sobs.

_Amity, can I please talk to you?_

“Don’t you dare come in here.”

She heard a heavy sigh and what sounded like Luz sliding down her door.

_I’m sorry._

Amity grabbed a vase from beside her bed and threw it against the door, where it shattered instantly upon contact, broken pieces scattering across the floor. She imagined that the vase resembled the broken pieces of her heart.

A quiet settled in the house.

“Leave me alone.”

No sound came from the other side of the door, but she knew that the ghost was gone.

~~~

Pale sunlight filtered through her window, beams hitting Amity’s eyes and forcing her to get up. She felt like lead had been injected into her veins. Her footsteps were unsteady as she made her way to the bathroom.

Bloodshot eyes stared back at her, dried tears staining her face and hair beyond tangled. She forced her hands to turn on the sink and splash some water on her face. 

Amity exited the bathroom and collapsed back on her bed. 

She didn’t want to remember. 

~~~

The late afternoon sun filled her room, rudely awakening her from the nap she’d been enjoying. It had been peaceful, no tears, no pain, no Luz. 

_Amity._

She groaned and gritted her teeth, forcing herself to look at the ghost that’d just materialized in her room. 

“I told you to leave me alone.”

_I did._

“It wasn’t long enough.”

Luz’s face looked drawn and haggard, previously warm eyes cold and shining with sadness.

_I couldn’t stay away longer. I need to talk to you._

_We need to talk about this._

Amity slowly sat up, head pounding and agony coursing through her body.

“There’s nothing to talk about.”

_I didn’t lie to you. I love you._

She felt the tears return as Luz looked at her with both an earnest and heartbroken expression. A lump formed in her throat.

“I didn’t lie either.”

The ghost exhaled shakily, burying her face into her hands.

Tears fell again, her heart far beyond broken.

_Amity, I have to leave. I can’t stay anymore. I don’t belong here._

_You deserve someone still alive._

“I don’t want anyone else! I want _you._ ”

Shining tears fell from behind Luz’s hands, disappearing before they hit the ground. 

_I wish-_

_It’s too late for us. I’m dead, you’re alive, so_ alive _._

_Please come with me, I want your face to be the last thing I see before I go._

“How can you ask me something like that?!”

Shuddering sobs escaped both of them, both ghost and witch unwilling to move, not wanting to accept what was happening.

“Just stay, please, just a few more days.”

_I can’t. I should’ve told you earlier, but I’ve been fading for weeks._

_If I stay any longer, I’ll dissolve into nothingness, still conscious but with no form. It’s a fate worse than death._

_I forgave you weeks ago, and stayed, selfishly, because I enjoyed being with you so much._

Amity wiped her eyes, the heavy weight of everything left unsaid pressing against her chest.

“I hate you.”

The words held no bite, and Luz chuckled weakly.

_Please, come with me. One last request._

Amity let out a heavy sigh, making her way to a standing position.

“What kind of person would be if I declined your after-death wish?”

Gold looked into brown, unspoken words and moments never experienced hanging on a string stretched between them.

~~~

The Knee was even more fridgid than it had been a couple months ago, wind howling and freezing air biting Amity’s face. It was nothing compared to the cold emptiness in her chest.

The walk had been silent, any words that might’ve been spoken left frozen in the bitter air. The stars hung bright, constellations dancing across the night sky.

Finally, the steep incline leveled out, and the pair found themselves standing in the exact same place they’d been two months ago.

_Amity-_

“I can’t decide if it’ll hurt more if you say goodbye or if you just go now.”

_I would never leave without saying goodbye._

A bitter silence stretched between them.

“Well?”

Luz turned towards her, chocolate eyes still so incredibly sad. It was hard to believe that she’d ever wanted the ghost gone. Now, she wanted nothing more than for her to stay. 

_I don’t want to leave._

“I don’t want you to leave.”

The ghost gave her another one of those sad smiles, eyes still managing to melt Amity’s heart even at a time like this.

_I care for you too much, and I think you feel the same. We were never supposed to fall in love._

“Don’t say that.”

_But we did, and these past months were probably the best of my life. Oh, well, afterlife I guess._

Luz looked like she wanted to cry again, and Amity stepped closer to her until they were almost nose to nose. The stars illuminated the ghost’s form, giving her a slight ethereal glow. 

“You’re beautiful.”

The words fell out of Amity’s mouth before she knew what she was saying. 

“You’re funny, weird, and probably the most amazing person I’ve ever met. You make me smile even when you say the stupidest things, and falling for you felt inevitable.”

The ghost was smiling, tears falling down her face. 

“I’ll never forget you, and I’ll always miss you.”

She took Luz’s face in her hands.

“I’ll always love you.”

She pulled their faces closer.

“Until the day I die.”

Luz’s lips were cold and salty from tears, but Amity kissed her harder and slid her hands into the ghost’s hair. Luz melted into her, wrapping her translucent arms around the witch one last time.

The ghost faded into the wind, leaving Amity’s arms empty, hands clutching nothing. 

She fell to her knees, agony etched into her features as she gazed to the sky. 

A star blinked into existence, shining brighter than all the other’s surrounding it. 

Her head hung as her tears fell and froze in the snow.

Hours passed, and the stars faded away into a brilliant sunrise, reds and oranges painting the early morning sky. A cry of pain emerged from her lips.

Amity had never hated colors more than at that moment.

~~~

The anniversary of Luz’s death arrived, and she’d never felt more hopeless. 

Edric and Emira found her curled up on her bed, unwilling to face the world. They glanced at each other in concern and went to comfort their little sister. As the twins wrapped their arms around her, Amity broke into sobs and told them everything.

~~~

A few weeks later, a knock sounded on Amity’s door.

Frowning, she opened it and found herself face to face with Willow. The dark-haired witch looked sad, but there was a small amount of hope in her eyes.

“Hey, Amity. Can we talk?”

~~~

A year later, Amity walked to the town hall, papers in her hands and heart a nervous wreck.

As she entered the grand double doors, the doorman greeted her and waved her inside. She walked towards the front desk, where a short, graying witch was reading through a stack of files. She looked up as Amity approached.

“Hello, I’d like to submit my application to the Abomination Coven.”

~~~

It was another couple of years before she had the courage to visit the Owl Lady. 

She emerged from the woods and was instantly greeted by an overeager house demon, his long form stretching inside as he announced her visit.

“Hoot! Eda, you have a guest!”

The door was thrown open, revealing a witch with stark white hair, wearing a bathrobe and bunny slippers. Frowning, Eda took in Amity’s trembling form. 

She exhaled, letting her body relax a little.

“Ms. Clawthorne, I’d like to talk to you about Luz Noceda.”

The Owl Lady’s eyes widened, a hopeful expression crossing her face, before falling at the look on her face. 

“Well, you should come inside.”

~~~

Amity was celebrating her 40th birthday, just a small occasion with Willow and a few other friends. The party guests cheered as she blew out her candles and cut the cake, a content smile on her face.

Willow had been a good friend these past years, forcing Amity to meet new people, to interact with the other members of her coven. 

Although, Amity declined any of Willow’s offers to set her up with people. 

She was content with her life, but that part of her soul still ached for the human who’d died so many years ago.

~~~

She stared out the window of the little cottage, gnarled hands resting on the wooden arms of her chair.

A sigh escaped her lips as she looked at the night sky.

Luz’s star still shone, so much brighter than all the rest. 

Amity was so _tired._

“I promised you, Luz, that I’d love you forever.”

The soft moonlight illuminated her wrinkled features.

“And now my forever is coming to an end.”

She closed her eyes, breathing slowly becoming softer and softer until it ceased all together. 

When Amity’s eyes opened again, she was looking down at her body, old and shriveled. But when she looked at her own ghostly form, her skin was free of wrinkles, 16 once again. 

She smiled, gazing to the sky.

_Luz, I’m coming._

Her ghostly form faded and she joined Luz in the sky, twin stars shining, together for the rest of forever.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m genuinely crying, I never thought writing this fic would take such a toll on me emotionally, but here I am, sobbing my eyes out over this stupid story.
> 
> I guess the ending was bittersweet?

**Author's Note:**

> Artwork is by mauvta on Instagram, please please please go follow, her artwork is stunning.
> 
> As always, please leave comments


End file.
